Metallic shipping-box.



s. ELLIS. METALUC SHIPPING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1917.

Patented Nov. 20, 191?.

mwwn come 5111: 495

ii iii STUART ELLIS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSTGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T METAL EGG CRATE GQMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

METALLIC SHIPPING-BOX.

Patented Nov. 20,191?

Application filed .lune 8, 1917. $eria1N0. 173,523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that Lsruairr Ennis, a citi: zen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Shipping-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The object, in general, of my invention is to provide a novel construction of metallic shipping-box, specially adapted for use with the parcels post, and'which will require no wrapping paper for transit through the mails. By eliminating the use of. wrapping paper, a substantial financial saving is effected, especially since the cost of paper has materially'increased in recent years. Also, since no wrapping paper, is necessary, the user is spared the loss of time and annoyance of .wrapping up the box, preparatory to mailing the same. I

Another equally important object of the invention is to provide a metallic shipping box which may be repeatedly sent back and forth through the mails between the same two persons (for instance, a truck-farmer living in the rural districts and a city customer of such farmer), without re-addrcss ing the box each time it is re-mailed.

Another important object is to provide a box carrying a reversible cardboard panel, to both faces of which postage-stamps may be affixed. Postage-stamps will not adhere satisfactorily to a metal surface, and, if applied directly to a metallic shipping box, they quickly become detached. By the use of my reversible postage-stamp panel, postage-stamps to prepay the going trip through the mails may be gummed to one face thereof, and, for the return trip, the stamps may be gummed to the reverse side, the .panel being simply reversed when the box is mailed for its return trip. 7

Another object is to provide a metallic shipping box simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, and one whose manner of use will be readily understood.

.Subsidiary objects, rclating to improve ments in structural details, will appear as the specification proceeds and the nature of the invention more fully unfolds,

7 With these objects in View, the invention contemplates the provision, in a metallic shipping-box of individually-reversible, addressand postage stamp panels, disposed within the box and discernible through the lid thereof; and theinvention resides, also, in certain other constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, summed up in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing graphically illustrates, as examples, certain forms of metallic shipping-boxes capable of carrying out the underlying principles of the invention. Like reference-characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. The different views may be briefly described as follows: t Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of a metallic shipping-box constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detached, detail, collective view, in perspective, of the address-panel and of the postage-stamp panel, showin the manner in which the latter is prefertlily carried by the former;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the addressand of the postage-stamp panels, showingthe side thereof the reverse of that shown in F Fig. 4 is a detached, detail view of the postage-stamp panel;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of metallic shipping-box, showing the hinged lid thereof closed; and

Fig. 6 is a view in section on the line 66 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the hinged lid raised.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawing and, first, to Figs. 1 to at thereof:

1 designates a metallic shipping-box provided with a lid 2 having apertures 8 and d, through which the addressand postagestamp panels, hereinafter particularly described, are visible. The box may be providedwith a filler 5, comprising pasteboard strips arranged to form cells for holding eggs, or the like. On top of the filler 5 may be placed a corrugated-cardboard plate 6, forming a top cushioning member. The filler 5 and the cushioningplate 6, however, forinno part of my invention.

Adapted to be disposed beneath the lid .2,for instance, upon the top ofthe cardboard plate 6,-is a reversible addresspanel 7, appropriately of a size to contact with, or to nearly touch, the four walls of the box, This panel, from the standpoint of cheapness, is, advantageously, constructed of cardboard, although, obviously it maybe made of'wood, or any other suitable material. This panel 7 is preferably provided with beveled corners 8, so as to permit a persons fingers easily to grasp the panel. in removlng it from the box, or placing it face of the panel shown in Fig. 2; and, on'

the reverse side (as shown in Fig. 3), may,

in like manner, be prominently displayed and properly arranged names'and addresses enabling the person to whom the box has been delivered through the mails, as aforesaid, to re-mail the box to the person from whom he received it, as stated, by simply reversing the address-panel 7 in the-box.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a second panel 11, constituting a postage-stamp panel, and this latter panel may be conveniently carried by the addresspanel 7 in a suitable manner. Thus, for example, the address-panel 7 may be provided with lateral slits 12, forming lateral tongues 13, 13, 13. By forcing the panel 11 in said slits (as shown in Fig. 2), so that its ends are beneath two of said tongues and its cen* tral portion over the third tongue, it is frictionally held in position. To enhance this frictional hold, the panel 7 may be of sheet metal, having some resiliency, so that the tongues 13 spring against the panel 11.

To the panel 11 may be gummed postagestamps 14. Thus, a person mailing the box to another and wishing to prepay the return postage may place on the reverse side of the panel 11 stamps to pay for the return trip; so that all that the receiver of the box has to do, when he desires to return the box to the original sender, is to reverse both the address and postage-stamp panels and remail the box. Thus, the same box may be repeatedly used between the same two persons, each person, when he receives the box and desiring to return it to the other party, simply reversing both panels and properly positioning the postage-stamp panelll with respect to the address-panel 7.

-Referring, now, to Figs. 5 and 6, disclosing a slightly modified form of box embodying the same underlying principles: '2 is the hinged lid of the box I Thelid is provided with two pairs of slits 15, 15 and 15 15, and the metal of the lid between each two slits is depressed, forming," as "it were,

countersunk supportingbeds or platforms 16. A reversible address-panel 17 is slipped through the slits or longitudinally extending slots 15, 15 and over the bed; or platform 16 (as shown in Figs. 5 and 6), and is. thus frictionally held in position. Desirably, the lid 2 is of spring metal, ;enhancing the frictional hold on the anel.

Similarly, a reversible postage-stamp panel 18 is slipped through the slots 15315 and over the bed 16. A latchi 19 is provided, whereby the lid may be held in closed position d Having thus tion, the many advantages thereof will be apparent, especiallyto those skilled in the art to which it pertains. The boxis ex ceedingly simple in construction, is cheap to manufacture,v isof light weight, "and its manner of use iseasily understood by persons possessing even a limited intelligence. Other advantages may be notedlas follows: No wrapping-paper is required; themetallic surface of the box is not defaced by stamps, and the postage-stamps are ifirmly gummed to a surface other than the metallic surface of the box; after the namesand addresses of the sender and receiver of tlie'box have been once written or printed on the two surfaces of the address-panel, no subsequent laborious and time-consuming addressing of the box is required, each time the box is re{ mailed; and money and time are saved by the use'of the box. 1

While, for the purposes of the patent statutes, I have described with great particularity concrete embodiments ofmyi'n vention, I am aware that various departures, especially in matters of structural detail, may be made; but it is to be understood that all variations as come within the spirit of the appended claims, when read in connection with allmechanical equivalents for the different elements constituting the structure expressed in the claims, constitute no departure from the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully described invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is: a s

1 In a parcels-post shipping-box, having a lid, provided with apertures, a reversible address-panel within said boxand' discerni ble through one of said apertures when the lid is closed, and an independently-reversible postage-stamp panel removably carried by said address-paneland discernible through one of said apertures when the-lid is closed. I it 0.1.:

2. In a parcels post'shipping-box, having a lid, provided with apertures, a reversible address-panel within 'said' box and discernible through one of said aperturesfwhen-i the lid is closed, and having tonguesand an in dependentlyweversible postage-stamp "panel "removably earned by said addressep aneland fully described inven-j engaged by said tongues, and discernible ing tongues, and an independently-reversithrough one of said apertures when thelid ble postage-stamp panel i'eniovably carried 10 is closed. by said addresspanel and engaged by said 3. In a parcels-post shipping-box, having tongues, and discernible through one of said 5 a lid provided with apertures, a reversible apertures when the lid is closed.

address-panel Within said box and disoerni- In testimony whereof, I aflix my signable through one of said apertures When the ture. lid is closed, said panel being slitted, form- STUART ELLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

